Collier Strong

Some 5,000 law enforcement officers from around the country gathered with thousands of members of the MIT community on April 24 to honor MIT police officer Sean Collier, slain in the line of duty allegedly by the Boston Marathon bombers.

“Sean was one of these guys who really looked at police work as a calling,” said MIT police chief John DiFava. “He was the same person in uniform that he was when he wasn’t in uniform. His caring and his passion was genuine.”

Collier embraced the MIT culture in his 15 months on the job and was posthumously elected a member of the Alumni Association. “MIT is a place that celebrates passionate curiosity,” President Rafael Reif said. “And Sean Collier fit right in.”

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